What was I thinking?

Ok so today was the big Music City Marathon in downtown Nashville. Brian left early this morning, before 5am, to go to the race which started at 7am. The girls woke up early around 6:45 and I thought to myself, what a great surprise to be waiting at the finish line with the girls when he crossed. It was a last minute decision, but one that would be well worth the hassle. I knew it would be a difficult task forging our way through the crowd of at least 25,000. I was excited. There was no way Brian would ever believe I would have attempted this by myself. I decided to get Brooklyn and Sydney Kate dressed up in their new $5 Target matching sundresses I bought them yesterday. They looked adorable as you can see. So off we went. Wagon in the car, check. Sippy cups, check. Snacks, check. Kids buckeled in, check. Camera bag & Flip video, check. I was set. Now to find them their sprinkled donuts I promised them on the way. Krispy Kreme in Cool Springs was closed for remodeling, so on to Dunkin Donuts. There was a line wrapped around the block so that wouldn't work because I knew I didn't have time to wait. So off we went onto the interstate. I get downtown and streets are blocked off. Great I have no idea where I am going. I ask a cop, who was directing traffic, how to get there. He tells me so I proceed. I knew we might be in the car for sometime longer so I stopped at a mini mart to get them a donut. I park right in front, turn off the car and run inside. 7 people in line. Crap. I can't wait that long. I did what any mom would have done in this case. Grabbed two chocolate sprinkled donuts and gave the man in front of me cash to cover it and asked him if he would tell the clerk I took 2 donuts. He was very nice and said no problem. Back to the car, give the girls their donuts and off we go. I follow the cops instructions and now I am lost. How did I miss Shelby Ave off I-24?Somehow I did and I find myself at another Krispy Kreme off Nolensville Road. Brooklyn informs me at this time that she has to go potty. So we stop and she goes and we proceed to get back in the car. Well Sydney is not a happy camper. She goes balistic and starts screaming. It takes me a few minutes to get her buckled in her seat and off we go again. I will add that Sydney screams for the next 1/2 hour. I finally reach downtown, but the way I know how to get to the stadium is blocked off. So I ask yet another cop and he tells me how to go. That way has now become blocked off as well. Keep in mind it's the next stoplight. I ask that cop how to go. He tells me and I proceed. Well his directions are wrong and I end up in a part of Nashville I don't want to be. Scary. Syd is still screaming and I cannot stop anywhere for fear of my life. Ok it's the middle of the day and I am probably overreacting somewhat, but I wanted to play it safe. I finally find 2nd avenue and I continue until I see a bunch of runners. Hallelujah I can see our end in sight.

I finally find a place to park, load the girls in the wagon with enough goldfish and suckers to keep them happy for a good while. At one point I looked back into the wagon and saw that Sydney had 6 suckers in her hand. Good grief. She was content so I didn't mind. It is a task to pull a wagon through thousands of people on one tiny sidewalk. We go to the family meeting "L" (goes by your last name) but no Brian. Then I think well lets go to the end of the finish line. That would be nice if I can wade through the crowd to get there. I get close and decide to pull up in the shade I could find and stop to rest. How in the world am I gonna find him? I texted him earlier to let him know I was there, but I knew he probably left his phone in the car. I call Eddy and he said that Brian was a few miles ahead of him. In my heart I knew he had finished and we had missed him. Then I get a call from Brian. He's in the car. I lost it and just sobbed. It had been such a long morning and I can't believe everything we had been through to see him and now I know there is no way he can come back. So I continue to cry and pull the wagon back to the car. By this time the girls are fighting in the wagon and Sydney is opening the wagon door and hitting people as I try to pull it by. I take her out and I am carrying her in my left arm and trying to pull the wagon at the same time. Did I mention it's 80 degrees? I get them in the car, attempt to drive away, but traffic is crazy. I have another meltdown and said some "choice words" that I am not proud of, but in the moment seemed ok to say. I finally get home and on the counter I see this...

I broke down again. What a sweet husband I have. I know he was tired, sweaty and feeling bad for me, but he stopped by Gigi's on the way home and got me and the girls cupcakes. (Note... they had eaten theirs already when I took the picture, but they had pink cupcakes. Too cute). Then I started to eat my lunch when I happened to turn my head for some reason and look at the refrigerator. The sunlight hit it at just the right angle that I see this... Several dings on the door. What the heck! Those were new and one of my children were to blame. Not sure which one, but I am gonna take a guess at Syd. She likes to beat stuff against walls and she probably thought to herself, why not try the refrigerator door. I lost it again. I had had enough. I crawled in my bed and started this blog. I'm physically and emotionally drained. It had been a long week anyway and this was the icing on the cake. Then it dawned on me that I never even asked Brian how he did. So I went downstairs to finish my lunch and ask him how it went. He finished the 1/2 marathon in 2 hours 10 min. I think that's pretty darn good considering the heat that we are having today. I know that probably slowed down 95% of the runners.

Thankfully I can end this rather long drawn out blog on a happy note. I just saved $350 on our tickets to California on Southwest. So happens that today only from Nashville to Cali they have slashed prices by 50%. I think the Lord knew that I needed that today. Thank you Lord for showing me your Grace.